Windows XP support ending

One year from today, Windows XP will be officially unsupported by Microsoft.

As noted on their life-cycle support page, there will be no more updates coming out of Redmond for the unbelievable success that is Windows XP. This operating system has been going since 2001, which makes it 12 years at time of writing. For software to last that long in the industry where things are changing every minute, and people have a hard time keeping up with the trends this is a huge deal, and massive success.

However, as mentioned, this success is coming to an end. Microsoft will be officially discontinuing the product. What does this mean for you?

• Security vulnerabilities. If hackers find an exploit in Windows XP that is currently unpatched, they might choose to wait till after the product is discontinued before attempting their attacks on a system, or systems. This is a very real threat, that could cause loss of data, identity theft, etc. Having an up-to-date system is very important to receive regular updates on these vulnerabilities, and ensure your computer is patched and updated.
• Hardware support. With new hardware coming out and the discontinuation of XP, getting digitally signed drivers for your hardware will become a very difficult task. You may not get the best performance out of your hardware, or worse, it might not even work, as there may not be a driver for it available.
• Software support. Newer programs such as Microsoft Office, Internet browsers, etc may stop receiving support for XP, and as such, you'd experience a slower performance, web-pages may not display properly, or not at all, and some programs may cease to operate altogether.

So, with the above in mind, you'll probably need to get a new system. Unless your computer is as old as XP is, there is a good chance that it will work fine with some of the newer versions of Windows that are available.

Purchasing a copy of Windows 7 is impossible through Microsoft I've been informed both by trying myself online on the Microsoft store, and on the phone, but it is available if you go to computer shops and retailers that may still have copies left available for sale.

If you missed out on the Windows 8 upgrade offer from Microsoft when Windows 8 was first announced for $39, Windows 8 is available for sale on the Microsoft Store for AU $149.99, which will get you the Windows 8 operating system. However, some places are selling copies of Windows 8 for $59 on the store shelves, I have seen it available at JB-HiFi (if you live in Australia). Even if you don't need it now, you should probably get it before stocks run out at that price, and you'll have to pay nearly 3 times that later.

Alternatively, if you have XP on an old machine, and you don't think it will last more than a year, you may be better off just holding out, and buying a new computer next year which will come with Windows pre-loaded on it.

Any questions? Fire away in the comments section below!

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New MacBook Air 13" Reviewed

My old laptop was getting a little slow for my personal use, and so I donated it to my better half for her use. And I got myself a new MacBook Air for Uni/Blogging/Photo editing purposes.

First off the bat, let me say that this is a great machine. The slim design, the battery life and the display are all fantastic, and I am really happy with it.

The thing that impressed me the most was the resolution on the 13" display. My previous laptop was a 15" MacBook Pro, with the same resolution. 1440x900. However having the same resolution on a smaller screen makes everything seem so much crisper than before. I did consider for a brief moment the MacBook Pro with the retina display but the price tag was a little too high given the specification it came with. I felt I just couldn't justify purchasing it. Having a resolution like this on a small screen is kinda like the improvement noticed between a using an iPhone 3G (and 3GS) then using an iPhone 4. Everything is sharper. And when it comes to reading text, or editing photos, you can really see the difference. But enough about the display, what else?

The size is perfect. 11", the model below the 13" felt too small when I picked it up in the shop. And the display did feel a little cramped when opening a webpage or a document. It's lightweight, unlike it's brothers in the "Pro" side, and the battery life is really good. Lasts just long enough for a day at uni, without the need to bring a charger.

The SSD (solid state drive) which is the internal storage for the laptop makes accessing files instant, and the power on time is much faster. There is virtually no lag at all on the machine when in use, however I have noticed that when resuming from standby, i.e. opening the laptop from closed position, that there is a bit of a delay before the input is recognised. Although the display does light up and show instantly, mouse movements and keyboard inputs are not recognised for approx 3-5 seconds, sometimes up to 10 seconds. However when in use, everything is a snap, and multi tasking is a breeze. The laptop can quite easily handle multiple applications open at the same time. For example, I have at least 10 apps open at the moment (in addition to the other system applications) and switching between them is instantaneous and responsive, this is because of the SSD and the 4GB of ram that the computer has, allowing multiple processes to easily be handled.

I am very thankful that Apple has decided to include a backlit keyboard with the Macbook Air's as it makes working in low light conditions, like on an Airplane, or in a dimly lit coffee shop (like where I am posting this right now) great, without having to strain your eyes to see where all the keys are.

One noticeable change with the move the ultrabook computing (MacBook Air falling into this catagory) is that there is an absolute minimum on external connections and ports. The most obvious example is the omission of a CD/DVD drive. Most Apple software that previously came on discs is available through their new "App Store

This store sells a lot of software made by Apple and other developers, and even includes entire Operating System upgrades - which is a huge change in the way that users upgrade their operating system. Normally this would involve buying a disk with a unique code that would assign itself to your computer. However with the introduction of the App store, software is now sold and assigned to your AppleID, or email address which is used to identify yourself with Apple. This means that if your computer get's stolen or damaged and is no longer useable, once you get a replacement computer all the previously paid for applications can be re-downloaded to your computer at no cost, as you have already paid for them. All you need to do is sign into the store with your Apple ID (or email address) and you can view your purchases. When I was at the Apple store, I signed in to the App Store on my new laptop and I was instantly able to download all of my applications! This was a huge bonus for me. So the omission of the CD drive is significant, but much of the content from discs is now available online, movies and music included. In the rare case you do need to use a CD drive you can "borrow" the drive from a nearby Mac via wireless, or you can purchase a USB drive which attaches itself to your computer.

Finally the exterior. This was another reason I picked the 13" over the 11". The additional port for the SD card slot made the 13" a clear winner for me. Having a hobby in photography, being able to shove my SD card into the side of the laptop without the need to actually get the camera, and a cable plugged into the laptop is a huge help and saves time and effort in getting my pictures onto my computer for editing as quick as possible.

There is not a lot wrong with this laptop. At all. Apart from setting up bootcamp (read: installing windows) on to this computer which I could see to be a problem this laptop has it all. For the amount of power packed into this very lightweight machine, the two USB3 ports, the thunderbolt port and the SD port this machine is very reasonably priced especially with the latest 3rd generation ivy bridge processor.

For an everyday laptop with punch, battery life, and speed, this is an excellent buy and I have yet to complain about anything. 5 out of 5 stars from me.

For more info check out: http://www.apple.com/au/macbookair/specs.html

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